THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609190010
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 20 lines
I get really tired of reading complaints in news articles that someone ``would not return telephone calls'' as if the subject of the reporter's investigation owed some obligatory debt of revealing sensitive information to the newspaper.
Perhaps those kinds of statements made by reporters are really intended to: (1) impress the editor with the reporter's diligence in trying to dig up information while sitting at a desk or (2) notify the reader that the public is being denied the real lowdown dirt on a juicy story.
It strikes me as reportorial whining that their investigative efforts fall short because of other people's noncooperation. Hooray for the other people.
ROBERT A. MORTON
Norfolk, Sept. 15, 1996 by CNB